10 Weight Loss Tips You Can Try at Home

According to the WHO, obesity rates have tripled since 1975 as the number of overweight and obese people worldwide reaches one billion. This rate is expected to grow as people eat more high-calorie foods and continue to lead sedentary lifestyles involving little exercise.

Being overweight contributes to a slew of other health concerns, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breathing problems. A common misconception among people looking to lose weight is that they need to splurge on special training equipment and expensive meal kits to lose weight but that’s not true. Here are 10 weight loss tips you can implement at home.

Find the right diet for you

Whether it’s Keto, Paleo, Carnivore, Vegan, Pescatarian or just a standard balanced diet, knowing which one to choose and how to prioritize your weight loss goals across multiple points of measurement is key. Things to consider in your choices

• Allergies – how your body responds to certain food groups and how you feel in that
• Weight loss – whether your choice of diet works well for your goals of weight loss
• Muscle gain – does your dietary choice supply you with enough protein from whole foods
• The amount of processed food in your choice (we prefer 1 ingredient whole foods)

We prefer the high fat, low carb way of life, for reasons that are covered in all the above, less allergic reactions, better bodily response, easier weight loss, good muscle gain and no processed food, but we don’t want to be evangelical about it, you choose best what works for you, but it is important to consider these major points.

Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking enough water comes with a number of benefits. By avoiding dehydration, you ensure steady organ function, protect your kidneys, and prevent conditions like kidney stones and constipation. Not to mention, staying hydrated is crucial for weight loss as it improves your metabolism and keeps you satiated for longer, so you end up eating less.

Staying Hydrated As Part of Routine

Most people forget to drink water because they’re busy and they don’t have the time to grab a glass of water. If you’re worried that you’re not drinking enough water, you can drink more water by tracking your intake or making it a part of your routine. For instance, drink one glass as soon as you wake up, before each meal, and whenever you use the bathroom.

And if you don’t enjoy drinking water because it tastes boring, you can infuse some fresh fruit like raspberries, oranges, or watermelon. Other ways to make water taste better is to enjoy some sparkling water once in a while, or adding a splash of fresh fruit juice. Not to mention, you can always choose from a wide selection of teas to enhance flavour.

Get Plenty of Rest

Studies indicate that sleep plays an important role in weight loss, particularly when you’re trying to achieve a calorie deficit. One research article shows that participants who underwent two weeks of calorie restriction lost less fat when they slept for 5.5 hours versus when they slept for 8.5 hours. That’s because a lack of sleep can lead to high levels of oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance, which have a direct impact on weight gain.

Ways to Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Rest

While it’s understandable that your tiring schedule doesn’t give you the time to get plenty of sleep, you can still implement effective strategies to improve sleep quality. To get restful sleep, make sure that you’re going to bed and waking up at a fixed time. Additionally, you should keep your bedroom dark by turning off the lights, and keeping it quiet as well.

Also, it’s best to remove electronic devices from your room so they don’t disrupt your sleep. Ensure that you have dinner well before you go to bed and get enough activity over the day to help you fall asleep easily.

Add Strength Training to Your Exercise Routine

Even if building muscle isn’t on your list of fitness priorities, you’ll want to reconsider once you realise the benefits it offers. Strength training helps build muscle tissue as a way to lose weight, and is quite effective for achieving a higher metabolic rate. When you have more muscle, you ultimately burn fat and retain your strength.

Strength Training Exercises You Can Try at Home

If you want to start strength training at home without any equipment, some of the best exercises to try include push ups, bodyweight squats, burpees, and the plank. These exercises can work the muscles in your legs, glutes, chest, shoulders, and core.
And if you’re looking to upgrade your strength training workout, you can get a couple of dumbbells and slowly incorporate them. You can start with lighter weights and increase the weight after a couple of weeks. Most importantly, remember to take 2 or 3 rest days every week because recovery is crucial.

Cut Down on Screen Time

While there’s no direct link between screen time and weight gain, you may tend to multitask if you’re eating while watching something on TV. When you’re distracted in such a way, you eat hurriedly, which prompts you to eat more.

Cutting Back on Screen Time and What You Can Do Instead

If you have a hard time staying away from screens, you can stay accountable by setting a time limit. This option is available on different applications that give you reminders once you’ve spent a certain amount of time on the app. Similarly, you can download a productivity application that detects how long you were able to keep your phone down.

Challenge yourself to not use your phone for extended periods and engage in alternative activities instead. Wondering what you can do instead? You can go for a walk, read a book, or write a journal. If that sounds boring, an interesting way to stay occupied is to look after a herb garden or work on a jigsaw puzzle.

Plan Your Meals

While eating healthier is an important part of many people’s fitness goals, few get around to achieving them because of time constraints. If you promised to start bringing lunch from home but had to order out because you didn’t have the time, you’re not alone. That’s why it’s recommended that you plan your meals ahead of time. It prevents you from making impulsive eating decisions because you’re so hungry, and allows you to step back and look at how much you’re eating.

Making Meal Prep Easier

Preparing a day’s meals in advance can sound daunting, there are a few tips that can help you work smarter, not harder. Some of the most effective tips include going grocery shopping with a list, checking your pantry to see what you already have, and most importantly, purchasing versatile ingredients that you can use for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

So if you’re buying groceries for the whole week, only buy enough produce to last you seven days. Otherwise, it could end up spoiling. Then, get staple ingredients like brown rice, canned beans, eggs, seasonal and frozen vegetables and fruits, and your choice of meat depending on your choice of eating plan of course. Avoid buying more than you’ll need to prevent spoilage, and pick ingredients that are on sale.

Find a Workout Buddy

It’s easy to set weight loss goals, but harder to stay committed to them. That’s because it’s easy to make excuses when you’re not accountable to anyone but yourself. Having a workout buddy is an excellent way to hold yourself accountable to your fitness goals. There’s evidence to support that exercising with someone can increase exercise frequency and commitment to weight loss goals.

Finding a Workout Buddy and Activities to Try

When you don’t have a workout buddy, start by asking your family and friends if they’d like to join in on your exercise sessions. If that doesn’t work out, you can talk to your co-workers to see if they’d be interested. The biggest benefit of having a co-worker as a workout buddy is that they have a similar schedule as you. Besides asking people in your immediate circle, you can join a group fitness class to make new friends to work out with. Once you’ve found a workout partner, you can plan exercise routines and fun activities to try throughout the week but avoiding common weight loss myths. This can include taking an aerobics class, trying yoga in the park, or going hiking.

Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating means paying attention to your body’s hunger cues, thoughts about food, and eating experiences. It involves being aware of hunger and food without feeling guilty. Researchers agree that practising mindfulness while eating can reduce stress and improve eating behaviours, which triggers weight loss.

Practicing Mindful Eating

To implement mindful eating in your routine, start by eliminating distractions when you eat. If you’re at work during lunch time, step outside for some time to enjoy your meal in a quiet place. Most importantly, put away your phone.

When it’s time to eat, do so slowly. Take your time to chew each bite thoroughly, while focusing on the tastes and textures. Rushing your meals can cause you to overeat, so it’s recommended to take short breaks with each bite. This gives your brain time to register feelings of fullness. Once you’re no longer hungry and feel full, stop eating.

Consider Low-Impact Cardio

When you’re looking to cut down on fat, low-impact cardio is more effective because the body burns fat more effectively at a lower heart rate. also, they allow an increased range of motion so activities like cycling and swimming enhance strength and flexibility in the long run. Let’s not forget that it requires less recovery time compared to high impact exercises.

Best Low-Impact Workouts to Try

One of the easiest low-impact workouts to incorporate in your daily routine is walking. Simply increase your step count and you’re one step closer to meeting your weight loss goals. You can also take up cycling and go on a daily ride through the park. And if you want to de-stress, yoga is a good choice as well.

It might sound difficult to add low-impact cardio to your routine, but small changes can have a big impact. For instance, you can take the bus and a short walk from home to the bus stop when going to work. Similarly, you can walk to the corner store when you need to buy something instead of ordering it online.

Find a Physical Activity You Enjoy

Lastly, it’s imperative that you find a physical activity that’s enjoyable and helps you make friends as well as burn calories. Taking a dance class, playing badminton, or skating are all excellent activities when you’re looking for something fun to do but want to get a workout as well. The best part of trying such an activity is that weight loss no longer feels like a chore. It also helps your body get used to movement as a way to relieve stress.

The best way to find such activities is to look up local forums and bulletins for community group activities taking place in the neighbourhood. You can also interact with people who live nearby to learn about upcoming events that give you an excuse to get up and move.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that many people want to lose weight, they fail to take the first step because they think it takes extra preparation and special arrangements. The truth is that you can begin your weight loss journey at home by following a couple of tips. You’ll have to eat a balanced diet by planning your meals, drink enough water, and be mindful of your eating habits.

Then, you must get enough rest, find a workout buddy, and reduce screen time. Lastly, you have to incorporate strength training and low-impact cardio to your workout routine, while finding physical activities you love. With these tips, you can reach a healthy weight, feel stronger, and be more confident in your dedication and commitment.